The last thing you want at your next event is a sea of empty seats.
Imagine it; you’ve done all the advertising, worked so hard to sell out the venue, had to turn away people after selling out, and yet you’re still left standing in a half-empty room.
Sometimes, selling tickets feels like the easy part of planning an event. At events (particularly free or low-cost events), event planners are forced to account for the fact that a percentage of ticket holders won’t show up.
This is a nightmare, particularly when your event has sold out. You want to maximise turnout, yet you can’t sell more tickets and over-book the room. However, there are still things you can do to make sure every seat is filled.
Incentive Schemes
Sometimes, this one may involve upping the price of tickets slightly, but having the ticket be redeemable for something (once validated) is a great way to maximise turnout. People are more likely to turn up if their ticket can also get them a free coffee or lunch.
Send a Reminder
Keeping in contact with your attendees is important, and making sure they have received a reminder a few days before your event is pinnacle to the success of your event. That little reminder can be the push they need to attend.
Contact Directly
If your event is smaller, contacting each individual is a great way to get them to confirm attendance. Doing this over email (or preferably over the phone) will give you a much better idea of how many people are attending, and, if there are lots of people who can no longer attend, you can fill spaces if you…
Have a Waiting List
Once your event sells out, make sure there is the option for potential attendees to join a waiting list. Not only does this create a sense of exclusivity, but it also means that, should people drop out, you have a list of people to fill seats. Even if there end up being no drop outs at this event, you can always send them an email as soon as you start selling tickets for your next event, inviting them there instead.
Join Pickevent
Without tooting our own horn too much, maximising turnout is one of the ways Pickevent can help you; people are more likely to attend when they know who else is attending your event. If you’ve not already, request an invite for a Pickevent Event Organiser account now!
Photo Credit: Derek K. Miller via Compfight cc